Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Nauru, you would:

Health

live 18.7 years longer

In Nauru, the average life expectancy is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 81 years (78 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 54.2% less likely to be obese

In Nauru, 71.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 32.7% of people as of 2024.

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have 35.0% more access to essential health services

Nauru scores 60 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Costa Rica scores 81 as of 2021.

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see 22.1% less spent on your healthcare

Nauru spends $2,474 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Costa Rica spends $1,928 as of 2023.

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Economy

make 36.4% more money

Nauru has a GDP per capita of $14,640 as of 2025, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $19,970 as of 2025.

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Life

be 91.2% less likely to die during childbirth

In Nauru, approximately 273.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Costa Rica, 24.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 18.2% more likely to die during infancy

In Nauru, approximately 7.7 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Costa Rica, on the other hand, 9.1 children do as of 2024.

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have 59.3% fewer children

In Nauru, there are approximately 24.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Costa Rica, there are 10.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 62.3% less on healthcare

Nauru spends 18.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.9% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 43.0 times more coastline

Nauru has a total of 30 km of coastline. In Costa Rica, that number is 1,290 km.

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Safety

be 93.8% more likely to die in a road accident

In Nauru, road accidents kill 8.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Costa Rica, they kill 15.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 2.3 times more home broadband

Nauru has 10.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Costa Rica has 23.3 as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Compare further: Nauru vs. Costa Rica

Size Comparison · See true size
Nauru is about 2,433 times smaller than Costa Rica.
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Moving from Nauru to Costa Rica · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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Costa Rica: At a glance

Costa Rica is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 51,060 sq km. Although explored by the Spanish early in the 16th century, initial attempts at colonizing Costa Rica proved unsuccessful due to a combination of factors, including disease from mosquito-infested swamps, brutal heat, resistance by natives, and pirate raids. It was not until 1563 that a permanent settlement of Cartago was established in the cooler, fertile central highlands. The area remained a colony for some two and a half centuries. In 1821, Costa Rica became one of several Central American provinces that jointly declared their independence from Spain. Two years later it joined the United Provinces of Central America, but this federation disintegrated in 1838, at which time Costa Rica proclaimed its sovereignty and independence. Since the late 19th century, only two brief periods of violence have marred the country's democratic development. In 1949, Costa Rica dissolved its armed forces. Although it still maintains a large agricultural sector, Costa Rica has expanded its economy to include strong technology and tourism industries. The standard of living is relatively high. Land ownership is widespread.
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How big is Costa Rica compared to Nauru? See an in-depth size comparison.

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